


a comfort in exhaustion

by stupidbadgers



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Domestic Fluff, M/M, kakashi is a good boyfriend and takes care of iruka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-16
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25313968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stupidbadgers/pseuds/stupidbadgers
Summary: iruka's new job is awful, but kakashi is there to take care of him
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Comments: 10
Kudos: 62





	a comfort in exhaustion

**Author's Note:**

> i'm still working this awful job and i'm yet again projecting onto iruka. 
> 
> another shoutout to the Umino Hours Discord Server for being there for me. i love them all so much! 
> 
> i hope you enjoy...

Iruka slipped into the house quietly, slipping his shoes off by the door and setting his keys on the table. His bag went on the floor and he shuffled to the kitchen to unpack his lunchbox. A bone deep weariness ached throughout his body. 

He hated his job so much. 

It wasn’t that the work was difficult or even complex, though that might be part of the problem. It didn’t challenge him. No, the real problem with the job was with management and the schedule. He knew going in the hours would be intense, they told him that up front, but really, how does one mentally prepare for working six days a week for twelve hours each shift? It’s not really something a person can conceptualize until they are actively working it. And then there’s the days that are only six hours, followed by a ten-hour day, and then an eight-hour day. There was no pattern, no consistency, nothing. And Iruka never knew what the day would be like until several hours into his shift. It was maddening. Every night they called for over time, but only some nights would keep it. There was no way to make sense of it nor get used to it. 

It wasn’t just the crazy hours that frustrated him though. It seemed that up was down and down was up and everything was backwards. If it made sense, it was wrong at his job. Everything was done the hard way. The supervisors—for which there were many, too many in fact—were never clear with their instructions, only half explaining what they wanted and expecting him to know the rest of it, _despite the fact that they knew he was new to the job_. On-the-job training was an absolute joke. If he did get training, it was half-assed at best. 

Today he had been tasked with the unfortunate experience of working in the area he had come to despise. All he did was walk up and down essentially the length of the (very large) building waiting for wire containers to fill with parcels. When those got full, he would switch them out. That is, if he had a new wire container that was empty. Half the time he didn’t and so he would watch the containers get fuller, waiting for a new empty one to be brought over by a different crew. 

There were almost always too many people in this area and nothing to do. He was glad to be pulled away from it by a supervisor—who had ridden up on one of their stupid bicycles with their stupid bells—to a different section. Iruka didn’t mind the section they brought him to, but the relief was short-lived. After getting set up for a route to be processed and then waiting around for forty-five minutes for the supervisor to come back so they could start, they were told to switch the route they were supposed to run, meaning they had to change out all the containers set up. Fifteen minutes later they were told to put it back to the first one. Iruka nearly screamed in frustration, resorting to swearing under his breath. 

Iruka sighed as he thought about the last ten hours. He didn’t know how much longer he could last at this. It had drained him mentally already and he had only been working there a month. 

He shuffled his way to his bedroom, opening the door. 

Kakashi turned over when he heard the door open, a small smile appearing on his face upon seeing Iruka. Even worn down and exhausted, covered in dirt and grime and who knows what else (seriously, what did people do to their mail to make it so dirty?), Kakashi's heart never failed to skip a beat at seeing his partner. 

“Yo,” Kakashi said, his voice husky from sleep. 

Iruka glanced up, his eyes lighting a little bit at seeing Kakashi, still in a little bit of a sleepy haze, hair mussed and cocooned in a blanket. 

“Hi,” Iruka replied quietly, walking over to Kakashi. He leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to Kakashi's lips before pulling back. “I need to go shower.” 

He walked away toward their connected bathroom. The house they rented was small, but he loved it. It was a two-bedroom, two bath and it fit the two of them well. They shared the second bedroom as an office space and pseudo-library, though their combined book collection had overflowed into the living room. The rest of the house was spacious, the living room, dining room, and kitchen all open to each other. It was home for them and they were happy here, and for Iruka, that was what mattered the most. 

Iruka was in the middle undressing when warm arms wrapped around him from behind. He felt Kakashi’s bony chin press into his shoulder before the man’s hair tickled his cheek. Iruka leaned to the side, away from Kakashi. 

“You’re going to get all gross and dirty,” Iruka chastised. Kakashi buried his face in Iruka’s neck, nose nuzzling under Iruka’s chin. 

“I guess I'll just have to take a shower then,” Kakashi murmured against Iruka’s skin, the leer evident in his tone. 

Iruka laughed, the sound warm and rich. It felt nice, the positive emotion after feeling so frustrated from work. The money was good, but the bullshit he had to deal with and the unpredictable hours left him desperately hoping for a better opportunity to come up. He didn’t know how long he could handle this situation. It didn’t help that he had barely seen his lover, only briefly when he got home and then again before he left for work. Kakashi had been understanding thus far, but he worried that the situation would become too much and Kakashi would leave. Iruka, for the record, didn’t know where that insecurity came from, as the two had been together as a couple for many years and had been friends for long before then, and had been through much more trying things than this, but it was there nonetheless. 

“Mm, I guess you will. You know, we could conserve water if we showered together,” Iruka said, finishing getting undressed. He walked toward the shower, out of Kakashi’s embrace. He didn’t want to leave those warm arms and that comforting body, but the exhaustion was wearing on him and Iruka didn’t know how much longer he would be able to stand. 

“You’re always putting that brain of yours to good use,” Kakashi replied, silently moving around Iruka to turn the water on, letting it heat to the perfect temperature. He held out a hand for Iruka so he could step over the ledge of the tub. Kakashi could see how much pain Iruka was in physically in the way he moved, though not many other people would probably be able to see it. Iruka hid his pain well, whether it be physical or not. 

He followed Iruka into the shower. In actuality, it wasn’t really big enough for both of them, but they somehow made it work every time. 

Iruka closed his eyes and dipped his head back under the spray, delighting in the feel of the hot water running through his hair. He shivered as Kakashi pressed against him and long, pale fingers threaded through his hair, careful of any tangles that might be there. 

“Turn around, love,” Kakashi said quietly, pushing on Iruka’s shoulder to get him to turn. Iruka did without protest, hearing the shampoo bottle click open. Hands were in his hair again, this time with citrus scented shampoo suds. Kakashi’s nimble fingers massaged Iruka’s scalp and he couldn’t help but let a small mewl escape. He barely heard Kakashi’s quiet chuckle over the sound of the water beating against his chest. 

Kakashi directed his head back under the water before repeating the process with conditioner. He let the conditioner sit in Iruka’s hair as he grabbed a washcloth, soaping it up and beginning his ministrations on Iruka’s body. 

“I can wash myself,” Iruka said, his voice sleepy. 

“I know, but I want to take care of you. You can barely stand you’re so tired.” 

Iruka didn’t argue. There was no point in arguing and if he was being honest, it was nice being taken care of. Kakashi tended to show his love in gestures rather than words. Iruka was accustomed to this, though he never took it for granted. He took comfort in the gestures, loving every single one of them. 

After he was all lathered, Kakashi rinsed Iruka’s hair, then rinsed the rest of him with the detachable shower head. He let the hot water run against Iruka’s back as he washed himself quickly and rinsed. Kakashi was reaching around Iruka to put the shower head back on its cradle when Iruka plastered himself against Kakashi’s front, his arms winding around his lean frame. 

"Let’s just... stay here a moment,” Iruka sighed, hugging Kakashi tighter. He craved the skin on skin contact, the comforting warmth of Kakashi’s body. 

“Just for a couple minutes. You need to sleep soon.” 

Iruka lifted his head up from where it was against Kakashi’s chest, tilting his face toward Kakashi’s. He leaned close, lips almost brushing, noses touching. 

“Thank you,” he whispered. 

“Any time,” Kakashi replied before closing the distance and placing a kiss on Iruka’s lips. It was meant to be short, just a peck really, but Iruka pressed back, lips parting and beckoning Kakashi in deeper. He tilted his head to the side, removing his arms from Kakashi’s waist and winding them around his neck, one hand gripping the nape of Kakashi’s neck while the other buried itself in Kakashi’s thick, unruly hair. 

Kakashi kissed him back with a ferocity that spoke of desperation. He had missed Iruka, every part of the man. These simple sweet touches had been few and far between recently and he needed to show Iruka how much he missed him, how he wanted to drown in him. 

They broke when the need for air became too much, panting in each other’s space, foreheads pressed together. Their noses bumped, Kakashi nuzzling against Iruka’s nose affectionately. Their lips met again, this time the kisses staying short. 

“The water will run cold soon,” Kakashi said in between kisses, his hands on either side of Iruka’s face. His thumbs brushed the ends of the scar that cut across Iruka’s nose, gently rubbing each side. Kakashi’s grey eyes were locked on Iruka’s brown ones, captured by the rich color and loving gaze. He could stare at Iruka’s eyes forever. 

Iruka, even in such a state of exhaustion, was the most gorgeous thing Kakashi had ever seen. He knew he would never be able to convey what he felt for the other man, but he could show him in every way he could think of. Taking care of him was just a small example of that. 

“Alright, time to get you into bed,” Kakashi said, turning the water off. 

“That sounds mildly suggestive,” Iruka replied sleepily. Not even their heavy make-out session could wake him up right now. 

Kakashi snorted, grabbing a towel to wrap around Iruka and one for himself. He helped Iruka out of the tub, making sure he didn’t trip over the ledge. After squeezing the excess water from Iruka’s hair, he grabbed the comb and directed Iruka toward the bed, grabbing a pair of boxers for each of them on the way. 

Once they both had those on, Kakashi sat Iruka down in the middle of the bed, crawling behind him. He took the comb and began to run it through Iruka’s hair, careful of knots. Kakashi combed Iruka’s hair longer than Iruka would have given the time for, gentle and tender in his touches. He loved Iruka’s hair, the color a rich brown with hints of red when the light caught it. He loved running his fingers through it, the strands silky and soft. Sometimes he would braid Iruka’s hair, taking his time and relishing in the intimacy of it. 

“Are you still awake?” Kakashi asked quietly. 

“Mm,” Iruka replied, the noise barely audible. 

Kakashi set the comb on the side table before his hands landed on Iruka’s shoulders, kneading the tension built up in them. The muscles were tight and Iruka made a grimacing noise as Kakashi rubbed into the knots. His thumbs moved in circles over them, easing his pressure just slightly. 

“You’re one giant knot, love,” Kakashi said. 

“You would be too if you had to deal with the bullshit I deal with. Not to mention all the fucking parcels people send. I literally saw a box of rocks that had broken open today. Rocks, Kakashi. Someone sent rocks in a parcel.” Iruka’s voice became clearer as he spoke more. Kakashi could feel the tension building back into the muscles he had just massaged. Iruka was amping back up, getting ready for a solid venting session. While Kakashi knew it would be good for Iruka to let out the frustration, he also knew that Iruka wouldn’t sleep well if he did. 

“Why don’t you tell me about it when you wake up? You should lay down now,” Kakashi said, placing a kiss on the nape of Iruka’s neck. He pulled back the comforter, guiding Iruka to lay down before tucking the blanket in close. Giving Iruka’s head a gentle kiss before pulling back and moving off the bed. A hand grabbed his before he could move too far away. 

“Stay with me? Just until I fall asleep?” Iruka asked, his eyes holding the same pleading his voice did. He blinked slowly, like he could barely open his eyelids again. Kakashi smiled softly at him, a look that only Iruka received. It was full of devotion and love, a happiness he never thought he would have, that Iruka gave him. 

“Of course, Iruka. Anything for you,” Kakashi replied crawling back onto the bed, settling himself under the covers, body pressed against Iruka’s. He wrapped his arm around Iruka’s back as Iruka cuddled in closer, tucking his head under Kakashi’s chin. Sleep overtook him within seconds, but Kakashi didn’t leave for a long time, simply taking the precious moments with Iruka that had been given to him. 

*** 

The sound of his alarm made Iruka groan. He felt like he could sleep for another eight hours and still not feel rested enough. He slapped at the screen of his phone, trying to swipe away the alarm while still half-asleep. He was glad to have showered earlier, at least he wouldn’t have to worry about it before work. 

He turned his head into the pillow. The scent of Kakashi filled his senses, bringing him a feeling of peace and security. Even with such a crappy job, at least he had Kakashi to come home to every day. 

Footsteps came from outside the door before Iruka heard it open. He glanced up at it as silver hair poked through. 

“Does it have to be that time again?” Iruka whined. He didn’t care that he was a grown man, he was going to whine about having to go to work. He deserved to whine a little. 

Kakashi held out a mug, “unfortunately, yes. Though, you could just quit.” 

“’Kashi,” Iruka all but growled in warning. He took the cup after sitting up, taking a long pull from it. 

Kakashi put it his hands up in a surrender gesture, sitting on the edge of the bed, facing Iruka. 

“Listen, all I'm saying—” he started to say. 

Iruka interrupted, “we’ve had this conversation.” 

“Then quit." 

“I’m just working there until I can get a job teaching. You know that. I have to be able to pay bills.” Iruka sighed, pulling his knees up against his chest and resting his arms on them. 

Kakashi took the now empty mug from Iruka’s hands, setting it to the side before grabbing both of Iruka’s hands. 

“I can take care of us until then. You know that.” Kakashi was all but pleading with Iruka. “I hate seeing you so exhausted and worn out. It’s not worth it, not worth the physical and mental stress you are under.” 

Iruka looked away from Kakashi, “I can’t ask that of you. I have to provide my share.” It didn’t matter to Iruka that it wouldn’t even leave a dent in the money that Kakashi had. His family had wealth and since he was the only Hatake left, it was all his, more than he could want or need. He didn’t like to rely on the money though, usually only using it to help others or spoil Iruka, which he did often. 

“You aren’t asking anything of me, I am offering. Please, love, consider it,” Kakashi said, his fingers grazing Iruka’s cheek as he brushed a stray piece of hair behind Iruka’s ear. 

Iruka had considered it, every day since Kakashi had first made the offer to take care of their expenses until Iruka found a job teaching. The more he worked at this place, the more he hated it, loathed it with every fiber of his being, but that part of him that told him he had to provide for himself, that he had to take care of himself was so strong and so loud. This was definitely not the worst he had gone through and he could persevere through it. But just because he could, did that mean he had to? Would it be selfish of him to take Kakashi up on his offer? 

He took a breath, closing his eyes and calming his racing thoughts. He would decide tonight. 

Iruka opened his eyes and shifted so he was sitting on his knees. Then he placed his hands on either side of Kakashi’s face, his thumbs stroking the man’s sharp cheek bones. 

“Ask me again in the morning. I’ll tell you then what I’ve decided.” 

Kakashi smiled, big and crooked. It made a warmth bloom in Iruka’s chest, seeing how happy Kakashi was. He probably figured Iruka had given in but didn’t want to admit it yet. And maybe Iruka had. He would know for sure by morning though. 

Kakashi leaned forward, his lips almost touching Iruka’s. “I’m looking forward to your answer,” he said, before closing the distance between them. The kiss was gentle and slow, delightfully so. They stayed close even after the kiss ended, breathing the other’s air. 

“I have to get ready,” Iruka said, gently bumping his forehead against Kakashi’s. “I don’t know how long tonight’s shift is.” 

“You never do,” Kakashi said with an unamused laugh. “It’s not your fault though. Just text me like normal.” He got off the bed, but paused when Iruka grabbed his hand, giving it a squeeze. 

“Thank you,” Iruka said, looking up at Kakashi. 

The other man looked back at him, his lips quirking up, but gave Iruka a quizzical look. 

Iruka continued, “for being understanding and sticking through this. It’s not easy on you either, I know. But you’re always there for me, always there to take care of me and listen to me whine and complain. I appreciate it a lot.” 

Kakashi looked at Iruka with such a soft expression, one full of love and reverence, before saying, “I love you, Iruka. Nothing will change that; certainly not this. This job, this situation, it is temporary. My love for you isn’t. 

“Now you need to get ready before you’re late. I’ll go pack your lunch.” 

*** 

Iruka came through the door quietly, like he did every morning. It didn’t matter if he got home in the wee hours of the morning or nearly lunchtime. This morning however, it was different. He set his keys down and took off his shoes. 

Everything in him felt lighter, more free. 

Kakashi appeared in the entrance to the hallway, standing directly across from Iruka. 

“So?” 

“Ask me.” 

“Iruka,” Kakashi all but whined. 

Iruka smirked, “I said to ask me again in the morning.” 

“Umino Iruka, will you please quit your awful fucking job and let me take care of you until you find your dream job teaching little terrors?” Kakashi asked, only a small amount of sarcasm coming through his voice. 

“I already did.” 

Kakashi squinted, “quit your job or found your dream job?” 

Iruka rolled his eyes, “quit my job, you dork. I haven’t had time to look for a teaching position.” 

“Really?” 

Iruka smiled, big and full of life, “I put in my two weeks before I left. They only want me to finish this week because of the pay period.” 

Kakashi crossed the room, lifting Iruka into his arms. Iruka gave a startled squeak, but laughed, capturing Kakashi’s face in his hands. 

“You promise this is okay?” he whispered. 

“More than okay. So much more than okay,” Kakashi replied, kissing Iruka with fervor. 

**Author's Note:**

> iruka got the ending i want (and hopefully some day soon will get, lol).
> 
> thanks for reading! 
> 
> stay safe and well out there. ♡
> 
> find me on [ tumblr](https://stupidbadgers.tumblr.com).


End file.
